Every LSAT scaled score.
What percentile it earns.
LSAT scaled scores and their percentile equivalents for 2024, sourced from LSAC. A 165 is the 91st percentile. A 170 is the 97th percentile. A 174 is the 99th percentile.
On this page
LSAC publishes a score-percentile concordance for each testing year. The percentile rank tells you how your scaled score compares to all test-takers in the preceding three years. This page presents that data in table form, with context on how to use it for admissions planning.
LSAT score to percentile, 2024 data
The following percentile data comes from LSAC's score-percentile concordance published for the 2023 to 2024 testing year. Percentile ranks shift each year as the test-taking population changes. Consult lsac.org for the current concordance.
| Scaled score | Approximate percentile |
|---|---|
| 175-180 | 99th-99.9th |
| 174 | ~99th |
| 173 | ~99th |
| 172 | ~99th |
| 171 | ~98th |
| 170 | 97th-98th |
| 169 | ~97th |
| 168 | ~96th |
| 167 | ~95th |
| 166 | ~94th |
| 165 | 91st-92nd |
| 164 | ~90th |
| 163 | 88th-89th |
| 162 | 86th-87th |
| 161 | 84th-85th |
| 160 | ~80th |
| 159 | ~78th |
| 158 | ~76th |
| 157 | 73rd-74th |
| 156 | 70th-71st |
| 155 | 67th-68th |
| 154 | 64th-65th |
| 153 | ~57th |
| 152 | ~51st (near median) |
| 151 | ~47th |
| 150 | ~42nd |
| 145-149 | 26th-40th |
| 140-144 | 15th-27th |
| 120-139 | Below 13th |
How percentile ranks are calculated
LSAC calculates percentile ranks using the full distribution of LSAT scores over the three most recent testing years. The calculation is based on all test-takers, not just first-time test-takers. This means the percentile distribution includes scores from students who retook the test, which compresses the distribution at the high end because high-scoring re-takers appear once per score in the calculation.
A student who scores a 170 in June 2026 is compared against all test-takers from approximately 2023 to 2025. Shifts in the test-taking population year over year can move a given score's percentile by one to two points. A 170 that was the 98th percentile in one year may be the 97th percentile in another year if the testing population that year included more high scorers overall.
Why percentile rank matters for admissions
Law schools report their 25th percentile and 75th percentile LSAT scores in annual ABA 509 required disclosures. Admissions committees use these bands to communicate where most of their admitted class falls in the LSAT distribution. A 25th percentile of 167 at a given school means one-quarter of the admitted class scored 167 or below; applicants near or below this number face increased difficulty relative to the class distribution.
Applicants can use percentile rank to understand competitive positioning: if a school's 75th percentile is 173 and an applicant scores 175, that applicant is above the 75th percentile of the admitted class, which typically carries scholarship implications and creates a competitive advantage in the application review.
Percentile rank versus scoring band
LSAC reports every LSAT score with a score band, typically plus or minus three points, reflecting measurement error in the scaled score. The band indicates that a student who scores 165 has a "true" score range of approximately 162 to 168 based on measurement precision. Law schools treat the reported scaled score as the primary number and the band as context. The percentile rank is calculated from the reported scaled score, not from the midpoint of the band.
Common questions
What percentile is a 165 on the LSAT?
A 165 corresponds to approximately the 91st to 92nd percentile based on 2024 LSAC data. This means a 165 is higher than approximately 91 to 92 percent of all test-takers in the preceding three testing years. The percentile shifts slightly year to year based on the test-taking population.
What percentile is a 170 on the LSAT?
A 170 corresponds to approximately the 97th to 98th percentile based on 2024 LSAC data. It is a highly competitive score for T14 admissions, above the median at most T14 programs outside the top 5 or 6.
What is the 50th percentile LSAT score?
A score of 153 corresponds to the 50th percentile per LSAC 2021-2024 data. This is the median: approximately half of all test-takers score at or below this point. The median is not competitive for most T20 schools, which have medians in the 163 to 171 range depending on the program.
Does a higher percentile always mean a better law school outcome?
A higher percentile improves competitive positioning at a given school but does not guarantee admission. Law school admissions is holistic. GPA, work experience, personal statement, letters of recommendation, and other factors all contribute. A 172 LSAT with a 2.6 GPA is not automatically admitted to a school with a 172 median; it is placed in review against a class where most admitted students have both a strong LSAT and a strong GPA.
LSAT is a registered trademark of the Law School Admission Council, Inc. Pinaka is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by LSAC.